A Systematic Review of Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Growing Global Health Concern

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease has become a growing global and public health concern among non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The purpose of the study was to focus on the increasing prevalence of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), irrespective of age and gender, and its effect on public health worldwide. A literature search was done in the electronic database: Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the World Health Organization (WHO) website, based on recent research and the prevalence of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, a manual search for published work has also been done. The coronary heart disease studies were not restricted during the search by sample size because of the limited number of studies in selected countries. The study reviews the potential risk factors responsible for coronary heart disease globally. Smoking was highly prevalent among the United States and Pakistani populations, but hypertension and diabetes were more common in Tanzania and the United Kingdom. However, dyslipidaemia and obesity were common in almost all the selected countries. CVD risk factors are highly prevalent in some countries, varying socioeconomic, gender, and educational levels. Furthermore, there has always been a need for awareness in the public and educational programs for a healthy lifestyle, intake of nutritional food, and increased physical activity to improve health conditions and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: awareness of cardiovascular disease; cardiac risk factors and prevention; global burden; risk factors of cardiovascular diseases; traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram of the study

PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses